Thumping

Gerbils thump, or loudly stamp their feet:

1. As an alarm to other gerbils, to warn them of danger,
2. As an aggressive gesture, to warn another to stand back, or
3. When sexually excited, and preparing to mate.

If there is more than one tank of gerbils present, the thumping may begin with one gerbil and spread to other tanks, who send along the message when they hear it. In each tank, one gerbil usually thumps while the others listen and hide.